“Its End Like A Bitter Day” (Amos 7:7-8:10)

“And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord God, that I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight; I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, and baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, and its end like a bitter day” (vs9-10)

If we don't listen to God when He warns and threatens, then the evil will happen against us, and we will die in sin. He says, “and its end like a bitter day”. Silencing the prophet doesn't change a thing, and rejecting truth has never made it fiction. You may close your eyes, plug your ears, and dance freely on the railroad tracks, but it will not change the fact that trains are coming, and DEATH will be your end.

Be wise, children of Satan, and hear the warning. God is destroying sinners who don't obey Him - who don't repent and believe the gospel. He doesn't ask anything of you, other than you believe that He does EVERYTHING for us, freely. Rom 3:23-24, says, “For all have sinned and fall short [continually and presently] of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.

We are to believe that sinners like us are forgiven because of what Jesus Christ did, at God's appointment, according to His eternal purpose. He REDEEMED us by His blood and paid the whole penalty of sin, so that God may graciously give salvation to us, which includes pardon, peace, and power, even heavenly bliss. We are to BELIEVE that He is for us, and we are helped with our sins, believing that His love put us in the Book of Life, chose to save us, and will keep us until the end. Yes, we're to BELIEVE, that even though sin is stronger than us, sneaky, and defiling, it is not stronger than Christ and the Spirit, according to the grace of God! We are to believe and never reject the gospel for any reason – not because of our pride or for some sinful pleasure. We are to believe free grace, receive righteousness imputed to us, and we're to walk with God in the promises of what He'll do, recognizing the commands , for Christ's sake and by the Spirit, are fulfills in us. Heb 13:20-21 says, “Now, may the God of peace... make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”. We are to repent and be saved, and if we refuse to believe, challenging God and denying the gospel, then we'll be damned in the end.

Many think this a matter of opinion. They tell me, “It is wrong to demand that people believe on Christ”, and I tell them, “I didn't write the command. The Son of God did. And, it is wrong for you to tell me there's another way, or that salvation is not really needed... unless you're telling me the truth”.

It is not wrong to preach faithfully, even as Amos did (Amos 7:12-17)! We read, “Then Amaziah said to Amos: Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence. Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel. Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord: you say, Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not spout against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus says the Lord: Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; your land shall be divided by survey line; you shall die in a defiled land; and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land”. They made others stop, but not Amos. I've been called a coward for not asserting what another person believed, but a man of God gets power to stand for what he does believe, which is everything that God has said. Don't be distracted, as if human threats mean anything to you. They can kill the body, but not the soul. They can hate on you, but only God can cast you into hell, hating you and punishing you eternally.

Don't pull back from the truth and suffer the fate of wickedness. Believe the gospel of God, and be GLAD there are warnings and chances to repent! Be glad God saves sinners, admit your needs, and be thankful for Him, rather than silencing the prophet and dooming yourself to eternal destruction.

“Let Another Take His Office” (Acts 1:15-26)

"Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry. (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’, and, ‘Let another take his office.’(vs16-20)

Judas lost what he could have had, and it was given to someone else. How many of you will have the same fate? The gospel that you and I could have believed will be removed, because we've rejected Christ against all evidence and love to us, and then we'll perish, while someone else gets the blessing. The Jews said, “May it not be”, when the Lord promised that they'd lose the kingdom by rejecting Him, and it would be given to another (Luke 20:16).

Believe while you can, and don't squander your eternal soul. Don't be someone, like Israel of old, who had the gospel, squandered it by unbelief, and soon will suffer WORSE than Sodom and Gomorrah. Our Lord said, “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for you” (Matt 11:24).

The gospel is for believing, even though it won't promise you wealth or earthly ease. Many, like Judas, come to Christ for what He doesn't promise and grow weary of salvation from sins, because they don't value their soul, don't care that God is holy and offended, and refuse to believe the simplicity and need of Christ. Paul said, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity (single devotion) that is in Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). Man is carnal minded, caring about the flesh, and seeking to live by his own way, but the Lord promises SALVATION to all who follow Him. This is what you need when you meet God: forgiveness, acceptance, and right to pass from this world, safely, into the next. He says, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt 16:27).

Judas' position was given to someone else, as yours also will be. Heaven will have no empty seats and God will shed no tear in the Judgment. You alone will weep for you - not mother, friend, or brother. Love will only be in heaven, and we won't care about the suffering in hell, because we'll know it is just, “For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her. Again, they said, 'Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever” (Rev 19:2-3).

Judas could have had everything: he was an apostle, could work miracles, and he would’ve been numbered among the twelve, maybe even writing scripture. Instead, he'll be in the lowest hell with Satan, and it will be the same with you. Our Lord said, “And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beating with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:47-48). If hearing about electing love, effectual atonement, and power from Above doesn't make you surrender to be saved, then this truth will haunt you eternally, as what you could have had. Be wise and think it through. The temporary pleasure of sin is not worth the eternal punishment it procures. The grace of Christ is non-optional, so grab hold while it is given.

You don't know about tomorrow. Too many think they'll get around to this at a convenient season, but they don't realize how fragile the gospel can be; it can be HERE today, and never to be heard again, for that “tomorrow” never comes. We read, “Now as [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 'Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you. Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound” (Acts 24:25-27).

Men are wise to see the fire and value the ladder of escape. They are wise to see the flotation device while drowning, and get the help they need. Yet, men hear of Judgment Day, salvation entirely by Christ's grace, and the promises of God, and they say foolishly, “I'll get to it later”, “I don't agree”, or “I don't need this really”. But, you'll be with Judas if that's the case.

Belief is rewarded abundantly. Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. There is joy, peace, and power; there is HOPE, reality, and truth; there is living for eternity and the satisfaction this brings, and then there is eternity at peace with God. You need Him for your soul's good. Unbelief will be punished, and regret adds to the grief.

“Let Him Alone” (Hosea 4:14-5:12)

“For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf; now the Lord will let them forage like a lamb in open country. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. Their drink is rebellion, they commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor” (vs16-18)

The worst thing possible is being LEFT ALONE by God (Hos 4:14-19). He said, “Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone”. When sin is not reproved in the conscience by chastisements... when we think we're getting away with it... then we really hurt ourselves, because we don't hurt, and so we destroy ourselves increasingly (Eph 4:17-19).  In chastisement, God gives us warning, but if we feel no pain and are without chastisement, then we're bastards (Heb 12:7-8).  God must save us, and when He doesn't speak and move us, then we can't be saved.

Saints are allowed to be destroyed in our schemes, by God letting them “prosper”, until we learn later (2 Chron 20:35-37).  Sinners are permitted to rebel, only to be utterly taken out in the long run.  Thus, silence is fearful, and doing your will and getting away with it is one of the worst things imaginable. When God says, "let them alone", He refuses to give knowledge necessary for salvation, since we've so despised the knowledge He gave already.

Saints are encouraged to discern our way by God's word, rather than our feelings or success.  We secure our path, because we can't judge by "open doors", which, perhaps, we've forced and opened ourselves. We seek God's kingdom, walking in the light of scripture, and we make sure that we're safe, rather than deceived (Ps 139:23-24).  Don't think painless joy is the mark of safety; it is better to have misery and be blessed by God's word exalting your way as pleasing to Him, than to have the delusion of peace (Rev 2:8-11).

Secondly, ignorance causes destruction, so heed knowledge (Hos 5:1-4).  We read, “They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, and they do not know the Lord.” People don't know God naturally and must be taught.  Those who obey God's word in trembling fear are blessed for receiving God and believing Him for who He is in truth (Is 66:1-2).  Those who reject the gospel are cursed in their lie, punished for their caricature of God, and they miss out on the salvation Christ gives. Do not be unwise! God is whom He declares Himself to be, and the Lord Jesus is the one and only mediator, the only One capable of appeasing wrath. Salvation is free, earned by Him, and given to sinners not one bit better than another. Therefore, only God is glorified in the salvation that makes us obedient, for He saves for real, giving the blessings of holiness. If this God is yours, then rejoice, and honor Him wholeheartedly. If you have another, or if you're cold towards God's commands for you, then repent. Ignorance isn't bliss.

Finally, God hurts us for taking man's word over His, so FEAR God and glorify Him who is Lord and Savior (Hos 5:10-13). He says, “Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked by human precept”.  Man can't help or heal the bones that He's broken, so disregard men and serve God.  Know where you stand according to scripture, and do not bow to anyone else (Matt 10:27-28).  God will fight for the hated believer, but He hates the fear of man, and He'll show that man can't save you, and glory is Christ's alone (Deut 32:36-41).  Your God is either the God of the bible in grace and truth, or it's man-made idolatry.  Who will you serve?  God or men?

“Division” (Luke 12:49-13:9)

"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. "For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. "Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother–in–law against her daughter–in–law and daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law." (vs51-53)

Christ didn't come to compromise holiness for popularity, or God's honor for human approval (vs51-53).  He came to divide, to draw men to Himself, to change us, and to leave us, for a time, hated by the world. He said, “division”. He is the way to heaven and to hatred. Men will separate from you over Christ, and they'll hate you in echoed detestation for Him.

The gospel is nothing short of the fight of your life for your eternal soul, and enemies will abound.

Secondly, we are wrong to position ourselves as better than others (Luke 13:1-5). He says, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish”.  We all equally and eternally need His blood, mediation, and Spirit.  None of us stands on our own.  He isn't optional, and it is the most needy who are blessed.  Repent of thinking someone needs Him more than you.  The gospel is mandatory, or we'll all perish.  Christ is the Lone Savior from sin, bearing its penalty away!

Thirdly, God gives space to repent, then wrath comes (Luke 13:6-9). He says, “let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down”. If we heed the warning, we're received.  If we neglect extended mercies, then wrath will torment us.  Jesus is merciful, but not always... not when time runs out and opportunities have been wasted.  Because sentence against sin is not immediate and more severe, men think their sins are forgiven or not offensive before God.  Little do they realize, but God is holding back the flood of wrath. He is giving more time for repentance, before His promised wrath pours upon the rebellious. Paul said his reason for preaching the gospel was, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Rom 1:18-19). Therefore, don't say, “He wouldn't punish me”.  Know that He will, and flee to safety in this appointed day of peace.

Don't use God's patience to excuse sin.  Repent and be saved, rather than squandering your soul.

Finally, we see why men despise Him.  His message is, “Die FOR me or be killed by me”. It is, “Receive my terms, or suffer my just banishment, eternally”. Men despise us for preaching repentance as mandatory for all!

“Let Us Fear” (Heb 4:1-13)

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” (vs1-2)

Fear drives us to the Savior to be helped of God, lest we perish in unbelief, like many who have heard before.

First, we shall not enter rest, if we do not believe (Heb 4:1-3). We read, “For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest”. Rest is only for those who trust Christ, who walk by faith.

Justification or righteousness with God is by faith. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness”. We believe on the Son's victory, and God declares us righteous by faith, and not by deeds. Salvation is received by faith, power is by faith, and all things that we get from God come through the channel of faith, which glorifies God, esteeming Him able to do what He's promised, even to save us JUSTLY and mercifully (Rom 4:21-22). Without faith, we don't have the Son, don't have the Father, and don't have the Spirit.

Secondly, God's rest, the cessation of our works and the entering into His salvation, is wonderful (vs4-5). We read, “They shall not enter My rest”. God's rest is movement by the Spirit, forgiveness of sins, and the heavenly reward. It is REST from the law and rest from the slavery of sin. We enjoy this rest here, but we'll enjoy it eternally and perfectly hereafter.

After a long day, you want to rest. Weary souls DESIRE rest. This rest is in believing on the Son, receiving the promises of God, and being empowered by His strength, rather than ourselves. It is going God's way, as God's children, - forgiven, helped, and rewarded.

Thirdly, don't resist mercy (Heb 4:6-7). We read, “again He designates a certain day, saying in David, Today, after such a long time, as it has been said: Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts”. God is willing, and He desires you to be saved (Acts 3:26). He resurrected His Son and sent the gospel to bless you, revealing His willing heart. He says , “Come” because He WANTS you to believe. Do not be discouraged, distracted, or deluded. Don't cast away your hope, saying, “No” to eternal life. Receive the goodness that He gives.

The prodigal came home to mercy, but the older brother REFUSED to go into the music and the dancing (Luke 15). Sinners repented and were blessed, but the self-righteous rejected mercy, like men who thought they could see and had no reason to ask for sight (John 9:39-41).

Finally, be ready (vs11-13). We're warned, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”. The stakes are eternal life vs. eternal damnation. You get this right, and you'll be happy forever, with no more pain. Your sins will be gone, your tears all wiped away, and pleasure ever more will be your lot. But, missing Christ, provokes wrath and dooms the soul to eternal torments. God is playing no games. We'll believe Him for real, getting power over sins... resting in Christ... or we'll be punished for rejecting His mercy. His heart is willing, His reward is sure, but it requires faith.

“Beware of Covetousness” (Luke 12:13-48)

Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (vs13-15)

If we're not rich towards God in faith, love, good works, and everlasting life, then we are fools (Luke 12:13-21). Our Lord says, “But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”. To live in this world for the TEMPORARY, when the eternal is to be gained... and hell is to be avoided... is the most foolish thing you and I could do.

Here is Christ, speaking of eternal life, righteousness, peace with God, and here this man interrupts with carnal logic and ambition. He's hearing the eternal, but he only hears the temporary because Satan has blinded him from seeing the value of his soul, and thereby the value of the Lord Jesus Christ. He looks at money, children growing up fed and clothed, and he sees no glory in eternal life. He is concerned for the here and now and forgets that man's eternal home is more important to be prepared for than anything imaginable. If we are right with God, then all is well, forever. But, if we miss Christ, then torments await us eternally. We must be wise. Store up riches towards God. Believe on Christ, get heaven, walk humbly with God.

Don't let “today” drown the pursuit of God, obedience to Christ, and the spread of His message. Don't let making a living cost you everlasting life.

Secondly, the problem is “little faith” (vs22-31). We think that He won't provide, so we take matters into our own hands, forgetting God to achieve what He would have given us anyway. He says, “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?” He is not going to die for us, create the world, promise us heaven... and then not feed us on earth and be ignorant of our needs. Everything needed to do His will shall be given, and if we seek God's hand to provide, then we'll be happy in Christ, delighted in God, and honoring Him with our substance. In thankfulness to God, we'll enjoy what He gives us, rather than using His gospel to excuse our vain pursuit of self.

Do not forget God. Remember that He remembers you.

Always be ready (vs32-40). Never say, “I'll get ready, after this”, because that proves you're unprepared now. Our Lord says, “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect”. And, to die unprepared is eternally ruinous. It is better to love God now, endure the heat of the battle, and be faithful unto the end, than to play soul games and gamble away eternity for pleasure. You may have Christ and grace, and He will see you to the end, being good to you undeservedly, but you are unwise to be unprepared. You don't have the promise of another day. Today if you hear His voice. Don't resist.

Finally, this warning is for us all (vs41-48). Jesus said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more”. We are not to say, “I do more than someone else” and be satisfied with that. We are each to do what we can, serving God from the heart. If you know to love and obey Christ, then you're guiltier than those who don't know. Live DEPENDENT on Him. Trust His grace and power. Walk by faith, and receive the promises. Stay active in God's kingdom.

“Delivered Your Soul” (Ezek 33:1-10)

vs9, “Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul”.

My soul is the most important thing to me, and delivering it from death is my only ambition in life, my priority and my driving motive above all else. I can't perish in hell, spending eternity PAYING for sins, when God has made a way in Jesus Christ, not only to be forgiven, but to be GIVEN everything needful to honor Him until the end.

First, deliver your soul. You too are a watchman, if you are saved. God told us all, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). He didn't say, “You are off the hook. Pay some preachers, and they'll speak for you”, but everyone of us is called to live godly, to walk faithfully, and to honor God.

You may not be a public preacher, but if your life isn't about God's grace in Christ unto good works of love, then you are unfaithful and will be punished, though you say you're saved. John writes plainly, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).

It is NOT enough to claim the privileges of salvation, unless you take newness of life, and the ability to honor God along with your forgiveness.

Secondly, I have a call as a pastor to preach FAITHFULLY, because MY soul is on the line. God said to Ezekiel and to me by him, “If” - “If you warn the wicked to turn from his way... you have delivered your soul” (vs9). If I'm faithful, then I have a reward. If I'm not, then I'll be punished. He continues, “When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die! And you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand” (vs8). It doesn’t matter what I say in private or how orthodox I am in my whispers among my friends. If I don't preach the whole counsel of God and teach men the right way, then they'll die, and I'll die with them. You know a tree by its fruit, and my fruit must be grace, through faith, unto good works. God says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works”, so that grace believed manifests itself in behavior (Eph 2:8-10). I must have a gospel that takes the sinner from condemnation to life, without us giving God a thing, that RECEIVES life and consecration to God.

Do not be a hearer only, a person who says, “I'm saved, so I don't have to do”. Know your salvation is REVEALED by what you do.

Thirdly, if we TURN, then we will live. He says to us, “he who takes warning will save his life” (Ezek 33:5).

I have learned that the wavering and struggling church, or the faltering believer may RETURN to God. I see 5 of the 7 churches in Revelations 2-3 warned that if they don't repent, something bad and horrid would happen (Rev 2:4-5, 16, 20-23, 3:3, 15-16, 19). Jesus would fight against them, He'd spew them out of His mouth, He'd take away the candlestick, or He'd kill her children with death . It reads, “repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent”, “Repent or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth”, “unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death”, and, “repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you”, and finally, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent”, so that repentance is God's path to blessing. Repentance marks believers.

Sometimes, the pastor is warned of death, sometimes he is not. Christ told the pastor at Thyatira, “"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works” (Rev 2:20-24). Thus, if he cares about his people, then he will repent, preach more faithfully, and save them by his own obedience. He won't compromise Christ to please them, allowing them to perish.

I see Eli's sons going to hell because he didn't RESTRAIN them. Scripture says, “he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord's people transgress... Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them” (1 Sam 2:22-25). He told them right from wrong, but when they sinned, he spared the rod, thereby hated his children, and God cut them off.

Eli's fate is deserved, but if we hearken to God's call to repentance, if we turn from our wickedness, rather than hurting us as promised, He'll give the good that's promised. We shall live. He'll conquer our failures, give us victory, and we'll enter into paradise, simply by trusting the overcoming power of Christ. He reproves us to give us salvation, if we will receive it.

He tells us to turn, and He will receive us, bless us, and fix the bones that He has broken. David said, “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken my rejoice”, and He WILL do it by the “no condemnation” every believer has in Christ (Ps 51:8).

Lastly, if you are not a watchman, then I warn you right now. God says, “Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel” (Ezek 33:11). I stand before you saying, “Turn”, lest you suffer the wrath, while I’m rejoicing in heaven.

"SHIPWRECK" (copied)

Some have strayed concerning the faith. - 1Timothy 6:21

In the early part of this century, an American ship was wrecked off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed into the rocks.

In life too, powerful currents of compromise can catch the soul and carry it to shipwreck. Spiritual drifting is usually a slow and imperceptible process. We know it has occurred when we have lost the strong resistance to evil and the passionate desire for truth that we once knew.

The apostle Paul wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen to those to whom Timothy ministered. He encouraged him to be faithful in telling others what they needed to know so they wouldn't stray from their devotion to Christ and cause their faith to be shipwrecked.

In our day, for every professing believer who is lost to the Christian cause by a savage assault of evil, a hundred more slowly drift away from God's truth, regular worship, and a life of faith.

We must give careful attention to what we know about Christ so that we don't get caught in a drift. - HWR

Lord, help us from Your blessed Word
All error to discern,
And by Your Spirit's truth and light
From satan's snares to turn. - Henry G. Bosch

“Because You Believe Not” (Luke 1:20)

"But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." (vs20)

If we don’t believe, then we don’t enjoy the peace and power of believing.  In our unbelief, we didn’t know God, nor could we praise Him.  Yet, this is how BELIEVER’S can be: ignorant and blind… unable to praise Him… because of unbelief.

The angel came with the gospel message of God doing the impossible by His faithfulness and power - “But the angel said unto him, Fear not Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John“ (Luke 1:13).  Yet, Zacharias, a holy and devout man, did not believe (vs6).  Is this you, O Christian?  Are you God’s child but UNABLE to praise Him by unbelief?  Must you see God faithful before you believe?  Must you have more evidence than God’s word before you live by it joyfully?

Many say, “I don’t believe how God can save me from sin”, and so they perish.  Yet, believers may struggle in unbelief, struggle with lusts, and struggle with temptations and prolonged failure, simply because we don’t BELIEVE how free we are - “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The gospel says it, but then we reason, “How can I be holy AND a sinner.  And, since I know I’m a sinner by experience, I will deny the holiness of the gospel, and I won’t pursue it zealously”. This, however, is judging by sight, rather than faith… human wisdom, rather than the faithfulness of God.

Don’t be CHEATED out of praising God by unbelief. Believe the fullness of the word, whether you can explain it or not, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).  You are forgiven and clean, predestined and called, saved by grace and saved to work.  Believe ALL that He says, and your rejoicing shall be full - “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full“ (1 John 1:4).  The same texts you mangle will be texts of adoration.  The same truth you shudder at and shrug back from will be the truth that liberates your life with meaning and pleasure. 

Believe.  Only believe - “But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole“ (Luke 8:50).  Believe God and not your weakness, the devils insinuations of future failure, or even the present condition of your body. Don’t believe the temptation is TOO strong, when God says it’s not - “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure“ (1 Cor 10:13).

Why Was Zedekiah Roasted in the Fire (John Piper)

The horrors of physical suffering correspond to the horrors of moral and spiritual outrage. Sometimes this means that people's suffering is directly correlated with their immorality and belittling of God. This will be the case, for example, with the eternal suffering of hell. It will correspond in perfectly just measure with the outrage of an individual's sin.

But often the correlation is indirect. Everyone suffers physically because of the outrage of Adam's sin, and because of God's subjecting all of creation to futility (Romans 8:20). But these sufferings do not all correspond to an individual's particular sins. All physical suffering corresponds to moral and spiritual outrage, but not all suffering corresponds directly to individual sins.

What is stunning and essential to see is that physical horrors correspond to spiritual horrors. God knows that we do not feel horrible about the spiritual horror of our sin. We take it lightly. But we get very angry and very agitated and very indignant about the horrors of our physical suffering. So God correlates the two in order to make plain to us how horrible sin is. Belittling God feels like a light thing to us. Being burned feels huge.

So hell will be physical, not just spiritual, even though the greatest outrages of life are not physical. The greatest outrages of life are spiritual—the demeaning of God by unbelief and indifference and rebellion is the greatest outrage in the universe. It may produce the holocaust or it may produce self-exalting philanthropy. But the magnitude of the moral horror in both cases is mainly Godward. Belittling God's infinite worth is the ultimate outrage.

Here is a picture of what I mean.

God says to the exiles in Babylon concerning the false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah:

Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire," because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. (Jeremiah 29:22-23).

I am shocked by the term "roasted." Why such a description? It actually happened, that's why. Nebuchadnezzar roasted them. And why did it happen? Why such an outrageous physical horror and why such an outrageous physical word used to describe it?

Because speaking false things about God and committing adultery does not feel outrageous to us. But roasting someone in the fire does. So God correlates the two so we would learn what is really outrageous in the world. Demeaning God and breaking covenants.

The physical suffering of this age is God's warning: This is how horrible and outrageous sin is. Flee it while there is time. Turn to Christ for forgiveness.

The physical suffering of eternity is God's judgment: This is how horrible and outrageous sin was. Now there is no fleeing. It is too late.

Don't Waste Your Life (John Piper)

There is a warning. The path of God-exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” In other words, it is better to lose your life than to waste it. If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full. This is not a book about how to avoid a wounded life (Don’t Waste Your Life), but how to avoid a wasted life. Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.